Stuff you hate (aka: the new f. you thread)

[Pidgeon]

This thread makes me terrified of meeting any of you in person.

I hate people who say that. (Is that OK as a joke?)

Sure, have at it.

[davidgoeschatting]

This thread makes me terrified of meeting any of you in person.

I hate people who say that. (Is that OK as a joke?)

Sure, have at it.

Oh no, I was just kidding.

[effecT]

Freakonomics(Movie):
The "research" discussed in the movie, especially about Roe v. Wade decreasing crime, is ridiculous from a statistical point of view.
I would like to examine the data and model Levitt used to determine that.
I would not know how to do it after 5 quantitative modules at uni.
How he establishes the causal link is maybe the most mystifying thing...

I avoided the books, because they looked like hokum but the movie was in my face and i went in with a somewhat open mind.
I was bitterly disappointed.
Stay away from the stuff at all cost and buy yourself a statistics textbook: That's money well spent!

[Pidgeon]

Is the Freakonomics guy the one who's always on NPR talking about baseball statistics?

[effecT]

I don't listen to NPR and wouldn't know but it sounds like him.
His name is Steven Levitt and his only rationale seems to be:
"Can i make outrageous claims to increase book sales and popularity? Yes, and everybody will believe me, because nobody knows statistics ans statistical modeling!
But i shouldn't do it in my own field of expertise, because some of those guys there took statistics and actually paid attention. I better talk some crap about some broad social issues that would have to be substantiated by enormous data sets no one will analyze anyway! KA-CHING!"

[Pidgeon]

One thing that's really been irritating me is, usually in editorials and opinion pieces, "the West" is treated like its own country. Yes, of course there are overlapping values and traditions in the Western world but not to the extent a lot of people think.

Going along with that, it seems like every time someone makes a reference to "the West," it's negative.

[moonshake]

I decided to check out a few episodes of the Age of Persuasion podcast. That affected voice, the heavy usage of those dumb sound effects- I hate everything about that style of production.

[Steve of Bloomington]

I decided to check out a few episodes of the Age of Persuasion podcast. That affected voice, the heavy usage of those dumb sound effects- I hate everything about that style of production.

Whose podcast is that?

[moonshake]

I decided to check out a few episodes of the Age of Persuasion podcast. That affected voice, the heavy usage of those dumb sound effects- I hate everything about that style of production.

Whose podcast is that?

Terry O'Reilly. http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/ People recommend it all the time on ask metafilter and sites like that. The content is interesting enough, but the style is really annoying. Ugh, I also hate how clever they try to be with the credits at the end.

[Mark in Helsinki]

I decided to check out a few episodes of the Age of Persuasion podcast. That affected voice, the heavy usage of those dumb sound effects- I hate everything about that style of production.

Whose podcast is that?

Terry O'Reilly. http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/ People recommend it all the time on ask metafilter and sites like that. The content is interesting enough, but the style is really annoying. Ugh, I also hate how clever they try to be with the credits at the end.

If you listen to a bunch of them at a time, the affected voice and nearly-condescending manner starts either to disappear or makes you want to tear out your ears with a garden hand rake, but the content is really good on that podcast. I'd forgotten about that one, actually.

[Bryan]

I decided to check out a few episodes of the Age of Persuasion podcast. That affected voice, the heavy usage of those dumb sound effects- I hate everything about that style of production.

That's the CBC house style! It's one of the reasons why even passionate believers in public broadcasting (like me) have a hard time defending the role of the CBC these days.

[Bryan]

When internet commenters (on the AV Club, f'r'instance) offer a premise or theory and instead of saying anything about it themselves, just follow it by saying: "Discuss".

Discuss.

[Pidgeon]

I actually managed to read every comment on one of the AV Club's popular articles.

Literally every single one of them was mean-spirited and cynical. At least the spelling was alright.

[effecT]

Mos Def talking politics/religion on Real Time.

[Andy]

Anyone talking on real time